Physician Assistants on strike

The Ghana Physician Assistants Association in the Eastern Region have begun a sit-down strike in protest to the detention of one of their colleagues, Simon Takrama, one of two officers arrested in connection with the death of four persons at the New Senchi Health Centre in the Asuagyaman District.

The four died after they were injected with contaminated peninsoline.

The Somanya Magistrate’s Court remanded Mr Tarkrama, 42, and one James Yeboah, a 65-year-old retired field technician at New Senchi Health Centre (Disease Control Unit) in connection with the incident.

But the Ghana Physician Assistants Association maintains that Mr Tarkrama is innocent.

Eastern Regional chairman of the Association, Philip Quasey said the strike will be replicated nationwide if there is no positive result by close of business on Friday, 13 April 2018.

“As far as I’m concerned, our members at the facilities are wearing red bands … we are not attending to patients. It’s a process to make sure Ghana Health Service listens to us and help us get our colleague out of prison.

“He was not on duty when all the incidences happened, he has been there for the past two weeks, what is going to happen is that in consultation with our national executives, by Monday [16 April] the whole country, Physician Assistants will be following suit,” he told Accra-based Citi FM.